Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria in Australia between approximately 1851 and the early 1860s.
Background
By 1840 the village of Melbourne, in the very south of New South Wales, was nearly 5 years of age. The population growth had been steady, but not spectacular, and was around 10,000 people. This does not include the original inhabitants who had been there for over 40,000 years.
In July 1851 the population of 29,000 celebrated as they broke away from New South Wales and the Colony of Victoria was born.
Weeks later it was announced that gold had been found in Victoria and the population of Melbourne grew swiftly as the gold fever took hold:
year population
1835 0
1840 10,000
1851 29,000
1854 120,000
The total number of people in Victoria also rose. By 1851 it was 75,000 people. Ten years later this rose to over 500,000.
First to be obtained was the 'easy' gold; that which was to be found on the surface, usually in creeks and rivers. The seekers used gold pans,puddling boxes and cradles to seperate this alluvial gold from the dirt and water.
When this ran out undergound mining began. This was much harder and more dangerous than the panning and puddling. The mines ranged from single person, to teams and eventually large mining companies.
The miners followed the underground reefs of gold. At Walhalla alone, Cohens Reef produced over 50 tonnes of gold in 40 years of mining. That is about 1.6 million troy ounces. As of Febuary 2004, that would be worth $US 650 million.
Major and long lasting impact
It is difficult to underestimate the impact this had on shaping Melbourne and Victoria. It touched every aspect of society; elements of which are clearly visible today.
The Eureka Stockade, an armed protest/revolt over what the miners perceived as unfair policing and harsh taxation, is widely regarded as important in Victoria and Australia's democratic development.
It is reflected in the architecure of Victorian gold-boom cities like Melbourne, Castlemaine, Ballarat, Bendigo, Maldon and Beechworth.
Ballarat has Sovereign Hill - a 60 acre recreation of a gold rush town - as well as the Gold Museum. The tiny town of Walhalla is at the other end of the spectrum, but certainly worth a visit.
External links
Books
- Nothing but Gold Robyn Annear ISBN 1876485078
- Walhalla Heyday G.F. James & C.G. Lee ISBN 0959631135
Referenced By
Eureka Stockade | Gold fever | Gold rush | History of Victoria | Melbourne | Melbourne, Australia | Melbourne, Victoria | Political History of Victoria
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